All their preparation and testing all now but a distant memory as Aston Martin Racing and TF Sport prepare themselves for the start of the World Endurance Championship from Spa Francorchamps this weekend.

This year's Championship sees in influx of competitors within both the GTE Pro and GTE Am classes with BMW entering two of their new M8 GTE's in the top flight class making for a ten car 'bun fight' and the GTE Am class swelling to nine cars. Aston Martin Racing and TF Sport have two cars entered into each class between them although now are not the most prevalent marque.

For the factory entered GTE Pro cars, season 2018-19 sees their brand new turbo charged Vantage GTE car being competitively raced for the first time after the team elected not to undertake any out of season racing over in the IMSA Championship, instead allowing their drivers to compete in other high level GT and single seater racing.

The Pro cars also revert immediately back to a three driver line up for the Six Hours of Spa Francorchamps as its traditional pre-cursor to Le Mans rather than its two driver preference having had the season more traditional season opener from Silverstone moved back to August - so this weekends event serves its double purpose again.

In a shift/change of driver line ups, the 2017 Le Mans winning duo are split with Darren Turner joining Marco Sorensen and Nicki Thiim in the #95 car and Jonny Adam being joined by the teams new recruits Alex Lynn and Maxime Martin in the #97.

In GTE Am - reigning Champions Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Matin Lauda return to defend their title aboard the factory supported #98 2016 specification V8 Vantage GTE. This season will see that squad swap chassis to the new iteration of race car at the turn of the year as regulations will then allow.

Joining the guys for the first time in the WEC will be the #90 TF Sport car of Salih Yoluc, Euan Hankey and Charlie Eastwood who this year step up from the series feeder series, the European Le Mans Series having tasted the highest end of GT racing at Le Mans last year aboard their 2016 spec Vantage.

Track action begins on Thursday with two Free Practice sessions before a third and Qualifying itself on Friday. The race itself starts at 13:30hrs (local) on SATURDAY.